Hindu vrat & fast calendar
Vrat Calendar — Every Hindu Vrat & Fast in One Place
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What is the Hindu vrat calendar?
The Hindu vrat calendar is the yearly schedule of vrats — the fasts and observances kept for different deities and life purposes. The recurring monthly vrats are Ekadashi (Vishnu, twice a month), Pradosh and Masik Shivratri (Shiva), and Sankashti Chaturthi (Ganesha); the lunar markers are Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon); and Sankranti marks the Sun's solar ingress into a new rashi each month.
Each vrat falls on a specific tithi — a lunar day — or, for Sankranti, the Sun's exact ingress. Because the lunar tithis drift against the English calendar, every vrat lands on a different date each year. That is why every date in this calendar is computed from real planetary positions using the Swiss Ephemeris engine, never copied from a generic list.
The vrats in the calendar
How to use the vrat calendar
- Find the next date. The table shows the next upcoming date for each vrat — Ekadashi, Purnima, Amavasya, Pradosh, Sankashti Chaturthi, Masik Shivratri and Sankranti — computed live against today.
- Open the vrat you need. Tap any vrat to open its dedicated page with the full year's dates, the fasting rules, the puja vidhi, and the upay it supports.
- Match the vrat to your purpose. Choose by deity and need: Vishnu (Ekadashi), Shiva (Pradosh, Shivratri), Ganesha (Sankashti), the Moon (Purnima, Amavasya), or the Sun (Sankranti).
- Keep the vrat on its tithi. Observe the vrat on the engine-computed date for your region, follow the puja vidhi on its page, and break the fast at the prescribed time (paaran, moonrise or the next morning).
Why vrat dates change every year
The vrats follow the Hindu lunar calendar — they fall on a tithi, not a fixed English date. Because a lunar month is about 29.5 days, the tithis drift against the Gregorian calendar, so each vrat lands on a different English date each year. Sankranti is the exception: it follows the Sun's ingress, so it stays near the same English date.
The vrats also target different planets — Ekadashi and Purnima settle the mind and Moon, Pradosh and Shivratri address a heavy Shani and Mangal, Sankashti clears Ganesha-ruled obstacles, and Sankranti strengthens the Sun. Which vrat and upay actually fit depends on your chart. Generate your free kundali to see which planet to address and the vrat that supports it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hindu vrat calendar?
The Hindu vrat calendar is the yearly schedule of vrats — fasts and observances — kept for different deities and purposes. The recurring monthly vrats are Ekadashi (Vishnu, twice a month), Pradosh and Masik Shivratri (Shiva), Sankashti Chaturthi (Ganesha), and the lunar markers Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon). Sankranti marks the Sun's solar ingress each month. Every vrat falls on a specific tithi (or solar ingress), so its date shifts each year — which is why every date in this calendar is computed from the Vedic engine, not memorized.
Which vrat is next?
The table above shows the next upcoming date for each vrat type, computed live against today's date. Tap any vrat to open its dedicated page with the full year's dates, the vrat rules, and the puja vidhi. Because each vrat follows the moon's tithi or the Sun's ingress, the next date is never a fixed English date — it is engine-calculated from real planetary positions.
What is the difference between Ekadashi, Pradosh, Sankashti and Shivratri?
Each is a monthly vrat for a different deity: Ekadashi (the 11th tithi, twice a month) is for Vishnu and is a strict fast broken at paaran; Pradosh (the 13th tithi, twice a month) is for Shiva, kept in the evening twilight; Masik Shivratri (the 14th tithi of the dark fortnight) is for Shiva with a night vigil; Sankashti Chaturthi (the 4th tithi of the dark fortnight) is for Ganesha, broken after moonrise. Purnima and Amavasya are the full- and new-moon observances. Each has its own dedicated page linked above.
Why do vrat dates change every year?
The vrats follow the Hindu lunar calendar — they fall on a tithi (a lunar day), not a fixed English date. Because a lunar month is about 29.5 days, the tithis drift against the Gregorian calendar, so each vrat lands on a different English date each year. Sankranti is the exception: it follows the Sun's ingress, so it stays near the same English date. Every date in this calendar is the engine-computed tithi or ingress, never a fixed-calendar guess.
How do I know which vrat fits my chart?
The vrats target different planets and life areas — Ekadashi and Purnima settle the mind and Moon, Pradosh and Shivratri address a heavy Shani and Mangal, Sankashti clears Ganesha-ruled obstacles, and Sankranti strengthens the Sun. Which vrat and upay actually fit depends on which planet is active in your kundali and your current dasha. Generate your free kundali to see which planet to address and the vrat that supports it.
The Purpose of a Vrat
A vrat is a disciplined vow, not simply a day of skipping food. The fasting element is paired with a sankalp -- a stated intention, usually spoken at the start of the day -- and with prayer or mantra directed at the deity the vrat honours. Traditional practice treats the combination of restraint, focus, and devotion as what makes a vrat effective, rather than the fasting alone. A vrat kept with a clear intention is considered stronger than one observed purely as a habit without naming why it is being kept.
What a Vrat Day Generally Involves
While the specific rules differ across vrats, most follow a similar shape. The day usually opens with a sankalp taken at or near sunrise, stating the deity and the purpose of the observance. Eating is restricted through the day -- some vrats permit a single meal or specific foods, others call for a complete fast -- and the day includes a dedicated prayer, mantra, or reading connected to the deity of the vrat. The observance closes with paaran, the formal breaking of the fast, at a time the tradition specifies for that vrat -- after moonrise, the next morning, or during a particular window, depending on which vrat is being kept.
Regional and Calendar Variations
India follows two different lunar month conventions -- Amanta, which starts the month from the new moon and is common in the south and west, and Purnimanta, which starts from the full moon and is common in the north. Because a vrat is tied to a tithi within a lunar fortnight, the same underlying tithi can fall in what looks like a different named month depending on which convention a region follows, even though the astronomical tithi itself is identical. This is also why some vrats are observed a day apart in different regions -- the moment the tithi begins can fall just before or just after local midnight, and different traditions resolve that boundary differently.
Choosing a Vrat With Intention
Beyond matching a vrat to the planet or life area it is traditionally linked to, classical practice places real weight on consistency. Keeping one vrat regularly -- the same Ekadashi every fortnight, for instance -- is generally considered to build more benefit over time than attempting several different vrats inconsistently. Starting small and sustaining it is the traditional guidance over starting ambitiously and dropping it after a few cycles.
The Vrat Tradition -- More Questions
What exactly is a sankalp?
A sankalp is a spoken statement of intention made at the start of a vrat, naming the deity being honoured and the purpose of the observance. It is considered the formal opening of the vrat -- without it, the day is treated as a fast in the ordinary sense rather than a vrat in the traditional sense.
Can a vrat be broken for health reasons?
Yes. Traditional guidance is consistently practical about health -- pregnancy, illness, medication schedules, and other genuine health needs are accepted reasons to modify or break a vrat, and most traditions offer a lighter alternative (a single meal, specific permitted foods) rather than insisting on a strict fast regardless of circumstance.
What is paaran and why does its timing matter?
Paaran is the formal breaking of the fast, and its timing is considered part of the vrat itself, not an afterthought. Ekadashi paaran, for example, has a prescribed window the next morning; breaking the fast well outside that window is traditionally considered incomplete observance, even if the fasting itself was kept correctly.
Why do some regions observe a vrat one day apart from others?
Because the tithi that defines the vrat can begin at slightly different clock times depending on location, and because Amanta and Purnimanta calendar conventions handle the month boundary differently, the same astronomical vrat can be publicly observed on two different calendar days across regions. Both are following the same underlying rule -- the difference is which local sunrise the tithi is checked against.
Can someone new to fasting start with any vrat?
Traditional guidance favours a gentle entry. Observances permitting fruit, milk, or a single evening meal are the customary starting point, letting the body and the household routine adjust gradually before attempting the stricter waterless disciplines some devotees eventually keep. Elders in most families echo the same wisdom: sincerity sustained across months outweighs severity abandoned within weeks.
Does a missed vrat need to be compensated?
Traditions vary, but the mainstream position is forgiving: an observance missed through illness, travel, or genuine oversight is simply resumed at the next occurrence, sometimes accompanied by a small act of charity or an extra round of japa as a gesture of continuity. The vow is treated as a living relationship with the deity, not a ledger where every lapse accrues penalty.
Do all vrats require a complete fast?
No. Some vrats call for a complete fast until paaran, while others permit a single meal, fruit, or specific grains through the day. The strictness of the fast is part of what distinguishes one vrat from another and is generally set by the tradition of that specific vrat, not a single rule applied to every observance.